Hawkins recalls opposing Wells' perfect game

DENVER -- Sixteen years ago Saturday, on May 17, 1988, David Wells threw a perfect game for the Yankees. It came against the Twins, whose starter that day at Yankee Stadium was LaTroy Hawkins, the Rockies' current closer.

That was one of 98 career starts for Hawkins, who moved to the bullpen in 2000. In the Yankees' 4-0 victory, Hawkins allowed six hits and four runs in seven innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He threw 123 pitches.

"We were real men," Hawkins quipped. "That's how we used to pitch back in the day.

Hawkins gave up a run in the second when Bernie Williams doubled and moved up on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Williams then homered in the forth before the Yankees scored twice in the seventh on a double by Williams, Darryl Strawberry's triple and a single by Chad Curtis.

While he was pitching, Hawkins wasn't really aware of the magnitude of what Wells was doing. It took a comment from a fellow Twins pitcher to alert Hawkins.

"I came in after the sixth inning and I looked at the board," Hawkins said. "And I was like, 'He's throwing a no-hitter.' And Bob Tewksbury, I'll never forget it, was like, 'Naw, Hawk, he's throwing a perfect game. '"